Lights and shadows in Italy at the end of the second day of the US Open (57,500,000 prize money, new record), fourth and last seasonal Grand Slam underway on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows, in New York.
Of the 10 Azzurri who took to the field, Berrettini, Sinner, Musetti and Seppi made their debut: Fognini, who was not enough two sets of advantage with Pospisil, and Sonego, who really wasted too much against Otte.
Also eliminated Caruso, Travaglia, Mager and Cecchinato.
In the second round Sinner will find on the other side of the net the American Zachary Svajda, n.716 ATP, on the draw thanks to a wild card, never faced in his career.
The 18-year-old Californian from La Jolla in fact eliminated by 76 (6) 57 64 64, in just over three hours, Marco Cecchinato, n.81 in the ranking, in fifth appearance in the main Flushing Meadows draw (on two other occasions he had played which) where he has not yet managed to get through a shift. Painful defeat, however, for Fabio Fognini, who probably had the worst draw. The 34-year-old from Arma di Taggia, n.31 in the ranking and 28 in the seeding - at his thirteenth participation in this tournament where in 2015 he reached the second round by eliminating Nadal - lost for 26 36 61 63 76 (4), after having fought for over three and a quarter hours, to the Canadian Vasek Pospisil, # 58 ATP, in his tenth appearance in this tournament, where last year he had pushed up to the second round. Bitter debut also for Gianluca Mager,in its second time on the main draw in New York.
The 26-year-old from Sanremo, n.71 ATP, was beaten 46 63 75 26 76 (3), after three and a half hours of play, by the other Australian Jordan Thompson, n.59 ATP, in his sixth participation in the US Open, where he last year he landed in the second round. The 27-year-old from Sydney reiterated the outcome of the only previous one with the Ligurian, in the second round of the last Australian Open.
